


Falling for You

by underthewillow



Series: TEA College AU [2]
Category: The Ever Afters Series - Shelby Bach
Genre: Chaurora College AU, F/M, Fluff, Happy Birthday to Chase, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-30
Updated: 2016-03-30
Packaged: 2018-05-30 00:52:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6401197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/underthewillow/pseuds/underthewillow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prank wars, gelato, and (ugh) running.  One thing leads to the next and suddenly Chase is wondering why he is on the sidewalk while a stranger laughs at him. Chaurora College AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falling for You

Chase hated running. Like really hated it. He didn't mind it when he was playing soccer, the adrenaline of the game taking his mind off unimportant things like tired muscles. Now however there wasn't anything to distract him from the fact that sweat was literally pouring off his face and into his eyes. It was his own fault too for getting into another prank war with the Zipes. One of them was bad enough, but together they were unstoppable. Now, as the loser, he was forced to run, literally run, errands for them all day. It definitely didn't help that this had to be the hottest day of the entire semester. At least he was almost to the shop. Well maybe. Chase looked up at the road signs as he passed an intersection, making sure that he-  
Chase's feet suddenly left the pavement, and he felt himself pitch forward, arms pinwheeling for balance. "Mmfmm," he grunted, feeling the wind leave his lungs. He laid there for a second, spread-eagled on the sidewalk, just basking in the shame. Then he heard it, the snickering.  
Chase flipped onto his back and was presented by the sight of some random girl actually laughing at him. His eyes narrowed, more annoyed that someone had witnessed his flop than anything else.  
She must have noticed his look because she immediately started apologizing. "I'm really sorry, so sorry! It's just that-" She paused for a second, looking embarrassed. "The first time I ran down here, I tripped over the same crack and was just glad to see I'm not the only klutzy one around here. I'm super sorry though. Are you okay?"  
Chase struggled to comprehend the words shooting rapidly out of this stranger's mouth. Then she was suddenly next to him, helping him stand and still apologizing profusely.  
"I'm Rory, by the way," she added, almost as an afterthought.  
"Chase," he replied out of habit. "And I'm not a klutz." The last part was muttered under his breath.  
"What?" The girl, Rory, looked at him, eyebrow raised in confusion.  
"You said you were glad to find another klutz. I normally don't trip over, ummm, sidewalks and stuff." He trailed off awkwardly.  
"Uhh, okay?"  
"I actually play soccer and I'm a culinary major here and I normally don't run but I lost this stupid prank thing with my friends and now they want gelato and who the heck wants gelato in October? What even is gelato? Some sort of weird Italian ice cream... or something... you know..." He trailed off, very aware that he was babbling in front of the girl who just watched him faceplant, a really cute girl if he was being honest with himself. Her thick, brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her green eyes glittered with a touch of mirth. The exercise clothes didn't look that bad either.  
"Oh, cool! I used to play soccer in high school, but it was more for fun than anything else so I just run to keep in shape."  
"You definitely are," Chase blurted out. "In shape, I mean."  
She looked at him, a smile quirking in the corners of her mouth. "Well, thanks, Chase. You look pretty in shape too."  
There was an awkward pause as both tried to think of something to say.  
"So, you run this road often?" he finally asked.  
"Yep, why?"  
"I was just thinking I should maybe take up running if it helps me meet girls."  
Rory laughed, a sound that made Chase unconsciously smile. "I thought you didn't like running though," she teased.  
He jokingly shrugged. "Some things are worth sacrificing for."  
She laughed again before changing the subject. "Aren't you supposed to be getting gelato or something?"  
"Oh yeah, right... I should probably go. See you around?" Chase asked.  
"Probably. Until next time, Chase," Rory replied, waving before jogging off. Chase couldn't help watching her for a few seconds until, shaking his head to clear it, he set off himself. Suddenly running didn't seem all that bad, especially when it came with meeting cute girls who run and talk to people who faceplant on the sidewalk.

Bonus scene:  
They sat in the coffee shop, their corner table covered in books and papers for finals review. Lena had already begun last week which meant Rory and Chase got her color coded notes which they were studying off. It had been quiet for quite a few minutes as they poured over the information when Chase suddenly asked, "Do you remember how we first met?"  
Rory looked up at him, an eyebrow raised in the way that said, 'I have no idea where you're going with this.' "You mean when you tripped over the sidewalk and almost cracked your head?"  
"Not exactly how I would have been it, more of a 'trust fall with the sidewalk' you know, but basically yes. You know what happened that day though?" he asked, innocently.  
"We just went over this. You fell," Rory explained as if to a small child.  
"I fell for you," Chase corrected.  
Rory groaned, but the smile playing on her lips offset her apparent annoyance. "You didn't even know me."  
"I knew enough," he defended.  
"Okay, whatever you say."  
He hesitated for a second, then decided to just go for it. "I have a different question though."  
"Oh?" Rory challenged.  
"Do you want to, I don't know, go on a date or something?" Chase blurted out, face coloring slightly.  
She looked around the coffee shop. "Isn't that kind of what this is?" she asked, gesturing around the room.  
"No, no, a REAL date," he clarified. "With, like, pasta and stuff."  
"Is that part of the dating criteria?" Rory teased, "Pasta and stuff?"  
"It is now," he replied, and she laughed.  
"Okay then."  
"....wait, really? Cool, I mean great, I mean... Actually I'm not sure what I mean. This is just really good."  
"Well, I think it's pretty really good too," she told him, a faint blush on her cheeks.  
Chase found himself smiling widely, beyond happy that she might actually like him as much as he liked her. Not for the first time, he silently thanked the Zipes for cling-wrapping everything in his room and for wanting gelato those few months ago.  
"So, is next Thursday a good night for pasta and such?" It took him a few seconds to realize that Rory was asking him a question.  
"Wait, wh- oh, okay, yeah that sounds great," he stammered out.  
"Great! That's good. Umm, I have to go now, sorry. Can't be late for Gen Chem, right?"  
"Mhhmm, I mean no, no you can't," he said, all so eloquently, then busied himself with helping her pack up. Chase watched as she walked out of the shop, turning to wave and subsequently running into a pole. He couldn't help but laugh a little as he walked out to help his friend, well actually his girlfriend, now. As he picked the now laughing Rory off of the ground, he decided once again that, yes, he was very glad to have tripped over the sidewalk that day.


End file.
